By Rod Hansen
Staff Writer

The setting of tax rates brings good news and bad news for taxpayers this year, according to local officials.

Goffstown’s town administrator and school district officials say increases were not as much as planned, leading to a tax bill less formidable than expected.

The 2006 tax rate has been set at $24.68 per $1,000 of assessed value, meaning the owner of a $300,000 home in Goffstown can expect to pay $7,404 in property taxes.

The new tax rate marks a 4.5 percent increase over last year’s rate of $23.61.

The town portion of the tax rate constitutes $8.22 per $1,000 of assessed property. Though up from last year’s portion of $8.11, the increase falls far below the anticipated $8.35, largely due to unexpected increases in rooms and meals tax revenue, said Town Administrator Sue Desruisseaux.

The local school portion of the tax rate stands at $12.35, up from last year’s amount of $11.43.

The school portion of the tax rate is lower than expected, despite the opening of the Glen Lake School and a special warrant article to outfit the school with new equipment, district officials said in a press release.

Although voters had expected a $1.50 increase at the school district meeting, boosts in building aid and catastrophic aid, plus a greater fund balance than expected, put the final increase in school taxes at 92 cents per $1,000.

“The School Board recognizes that this is both good and bad news,” according to the release. 

“Although less than originally anticipated, this number still represents an increase to the tax rate,” said the release.

The remainder of the Goffstown tax bill includes $2.86 in state school taxes, up from $2.83 last year; and $1.25 in county taxes, a slight increase from last year’s $1.24.

Tax bills were sent out on Nov. 1, and will be due on Dec. 1, Desruisseaux said.